A BURGLAR who crept about Bradford at night trying door handles raided more than £1,400 in cash, a Chanel purse and a Gucci watch from an unlocked vehicle. 

Gary Wallace, 56, of Amberley Court, Bradford Moor, Bradford, was jailed as a ‘third strike’ dwelling house burglar after committing a string of offences. 

He had 35 convictions for 73 offences and had twice been jailed for stealing from inside people’s homes, Bradford Crown Court heard. 

Lydia Pearce, prosecuting, said Wallace had pleaded guilty to nine offences, including attempted burglary, theft from vehicles and dwelling house burglary, all committed in 2021 and then in August this year. 

In October 2021, he was caught on camera trying to open the door at a woman’s home and shortly afterward he stole cash, sweets, an umbrella, and gloves from a Toyota vehicle. 

The same month, he burgled a house in Dick Lane in Bradford and stole a BMW key. He used it to open the householder’s car and stole items from it including a Canada Goose coat. 

On November 1, 2021, Wallace attempted to burgle a flat in Barberry Avenue, Bradford. He was seen on CCTV trying to open doors but when a dog barked, he ran off. 

On August 21 this year, property went missing from a vehicle and CCTV showed Wallace going up the drive and trying vehicle door handles. He found one unlocked and stole a Chanel purse, a Gucci watch, and £1,420 in cash. 

He then looked through the house window, tried the door, and left. 

The family put details of the theft on social media and several people named Wallace. 

When he was arrested, items stolen from the car were recovered from his address but not the large amount of money. 

Giles Grant said in mitigation that Wallace had tried door handles rather than using an implement to break into the homes and vehicles. He had a history of vagrancy and previous convictions for begging. 

Recorder Andrew Dallas said Wallace was out in the small hours with a torch and a rucksack trying door handles.

He had no tools with him to use to break in. His mode of working was to try the handles opportunistically and to exploit the opportunities that arose. 

Wallace had been jailed twice before for dwelling house burglary and was therefore a third striker. 

He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, with a reduction for his guilty pleas, making 876 days in jail.